Kilted in Ireland? Any Irish X-Markers?

[fudgeman]

Iwas on holiday in Ireland recently and wore the kilt all the time I have never had as many compliments I never saw anybody else in a kilt when I was there

Well that's certainly good to hear. If all goes well, I hope to be able to vacation in Ireland next year and I wasn't sure about taking any kilts.

[thanmuwa]

Well that's certainly good to hear. If all goes well, I hope to be able to vacation in Ireland next year and I wasn't sure about taking any kilts.

It also depends on which part of Ireland. In the Republic of Ireland, kilt-wearing is almost non-existant. (One of my uncles remembers a guy wearing one when he grew up in Clifden. That was the only Irish guy he had ever seen in a kilt in 55 years until me). In Northern Ireland it is still rare, especially for everyday use, but formal kilt-wear has links to pipe bands, Scotland (ie Ulster Scots or Scotch-Irish I think you call 'em in the States), the British army etc, so some people may suspect you are declaring your politico-religious affiliations (only until they hear your accent, assuming you do have an American accent ).

Saying that, the people both sides of the border are in general very friendly and your kilt is far more likely to be used as an excuse to start a conversation than anything else. You might even be bought a whiskey or two . I would recommend (south of the border) Green Spot or Redbeast (THE best Irish whiskey) if you can find them, Powers if you can't and north of the border Black Bush is nice or any well aged Bushmills. You are only allowed to add a drop of water, no other mixers allowed in good whiskey (Aside: My other half insists on adding coke, most recently to a 16yo Lagavulin! She is lucky I love her!)
Wear your kilt and enjoy your trip! Are you planning anywhere in particular to visit?

[Beertigger]

Aside: My other half insists on adding coke, most recently to a 16yo Lagavulin!

That sounds dreadful.

[McClef]

I was kilted in Ireland in August last year and there are photos somewhere in the site archives of my trip!

Wore my County Antrim and didn't see anyone else in a kilt at all but got quite a few compliments and many people seemed to be aware that Irish kilts and tartans existed even if they hadn't seen them much in evidence.

[Brewboy]

The last time I was in Ireland was before I was kilted. I did recently run into an Irish lass while in my UK. She struck up a conversation with me and asked if I was from the U.K. She mentioned she had started to see people wearing them in both Dublin and London.

[Carolina Kiltman]

(Aside: My other half insists on adding coke, most recently to a 16yo Lagavulin! She is lucky I love her!)

I'm not sure our 50 year marriage would have withstood that! :buttkick: (But as long as she sticks to rum, she is safe.)

[thanmuwa]

I'm not sure our 50 year marriage would have withstood that! :buttkick: (But as long as she sticks to rum, she is safe.)

She did point out, and I reluctantly agreed, that it was the best whisky and coke I ever tasted! Still a waste though

[O'Callaghan]

It also depends on which part of Ireland. In the Republic of Ireland, kilt-wearing is almost non-existant. (One of my uncles remembers a guy wearing one when he grew up in Clifden. That was the only Irish guy he had ever seen in a kilt in 55 years until me). In Northern Ireland it is still rare, especially for everyday use, but formal kilt-wear has links to pipe bands, Scotland (ie Ulster Scots or Scotch-Irish I think you call 'em in the States), the British army etc, so some people may suspect you are declaring your politico-religious affiliations (only until they hear your accent, assuming you do have an American accent ).

Saying that, the people both sides of the border are in general very friendly and your kilt is far more likely to be used as an excuse to start a conversation than anything else. You might even be bought a whiskey or two . I would recommend (south of the border) Green Spot or Redbeast (THE best Irish whiskey) if you can find them, Powers if you can't and north of the border Black Bush is nice or any well aged Bushmills. You are only allowed to add a drop of water, no other mixers allowed in good whiskey (Aside: My other half insists on adding coke, most recently to a 16yo Lagavulin! She is lucky I love her!)
Wear your kilt and enjoy your trip! Are you planning anywhere in particular to visit?

I would just add that they do have plenty of pipe bands in the Republic too, not just in the North, and those were the ones I was talking about, not those in the North. Their origins have nothing to do with Scotland as such.

I agree, though, that kilts could be misinterpreted in the North, although I have never been there (the North, that is, I have indeed visited the Republic). I would especially be concerned, rightly or wrongly, that a saffron kilt might be interpreted as representing the loyalist cause in the North, even though it is worn by the pipers in the armed forces of the Republic as well as by those in the Irish regiments of the British Army.

[beloitpiper]

I would just add that they do have plenty of pipe bands in the Republic too, not just in the North, and those were the ones I was talking about, not those in the North. Their origins have nothing to do with Scotland as such.

I agree, though, that kilts could be misinterpreted in the North, although I have never been there (the North, that is, I have indeed visited the Republic). I would especially be concerned, rightly or wrongly, that a saffron kilt might be interpreted as representing the loyalist cause in the North, even though it is worn by the pipers in the armed forces of the Republic as well as by those in the Irish regiments of the British Army.

I just returned form Belfast a few weeks ago, and I can tell you that a kilt IS a political statement in the North. Unless you are prepared to support a side, personally I would not suggest a kilt. Rural Northern Ireland would be a bit safer, but there are parts in the North, even after all of the peace they have enjoyed, that I would not feel comfortable in with a kilt on.

[O'Callaghan]

I just returned form Belfast a few weeks ago, and I can tell you that a kilt IS a political statement in the North. Unless you are prepared to support a side, personally I would not suggest a kilt. Rural Northern Ireland would be a bit safer, but there are parts in the North, even after all of the peace they have enjoyed, that I would not feel comfortable in with a kilt on.

I'm not surprised. My guess is that a green kilt would label you as republican and a saffron one (incorrectly) as unionist, just because it's not far off the colour orange, and that almost any tartan would be taken as unionist unless they recognise it as being republican (they might recognise Irish National, at a pinch), and then you're no better off. As you say, if you're prepared to declare an allegiance that's one thing, but best not to, I reckon.

There again, I'd only have to open my mouth and I could be in trouble, when they hear my English accent, at least with the republicans. Ahh, but I'm a Callaghan from the South on my mother's side, but better not tell that to the unionists. Better for me to stay entirely out of Northern Ireland altogether. In fact I'm scared to ever set foot there, to be brutally frank. I have the misfortune to have been born on both sides of their conflict. EDIT - in their terms I am 'mixed' race, even though I'm entirely caucasian!

OTOH, having an English accent was never a problem in the South. Mind you, there was one time a bartender ignored me, but I thought it was my long hair. I suppose it might have been my English accent. Either way, he wasn't the only person behind the bar, and I got served by someone else.

PS: I hope the mods don't think this is too political, but it's really just about safety.